Decoding the world of policy, politics, and security in and out of the news.

Main menu

Media Missed the Biggest Coup in the Middle East and it wasn’t in Egypt

Tuning into the Fox and CNN “entertainment” networks, one would be lucky to catch a small bit of news between the brain numbing, around the clock reports on the Trayvon Martin Case and Anthony Weiner’s perverse antics. Nonetheless, a close follower may have gathered that “former” Egyptian President Morsi was overthrown in a broadly supported coup that has pitted the Muslim Brotherhood against the Egyptian military. However, at about the same time, a much quieter and potentially more dangerous coup for the US took place in Syria. In fact, Al Qaeda just accomplished its latest “hostile government takeover” by effectively decapitating any last vestige of a secular Free Syrian Army (FSA). If not bad enough, President Obama has announced commencement of an insane US policy to arm these well-known terrorists. This can ONLY end in disaster for the US.

By July 12, 2013 news of the assassination of Kamal Hamami began appearing in foreign press. Kamal Hamami, a member of the FSA’s Supreme Military Council, known as Abu Basir, was killed in the Turkmen mountains near the northern city of Latakia, spokesman Louay Meqdad reported to Al Jazeera. Hamami was killed by fighters from an Al Qaeda-linked group in Syria and was one of the most senior leaders of the Western- and Arab-backed Free Syrian Army. Another FSA spokesman Qassem Saadeddine told Reuters, “The Islamic State phoned me saying that they killed Abu Basir and that they will kill all of the Supreme Military Council.” Al Qaeda should be taken at its word as it does appear to have continued to carry out its threat and has operationally assumed control of the rebel army.

The leader of the Al Qaeda organization that claimed responsibility for Hamami’s killing, the Islamic State of Iraq, is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrived in northern Syria to take control over Al Qaeda operations in the country and has apparently wasted no time in consolidating power under Al Qaeda’s banner. This organization has effectively assumed control of the Islamist Al-Nusra Front, which was officially declared a “terrorist group” by the US in May, and is considered to be the most effective opposition group battling Assad. As such, any notion of secular, nationalist forces fighting Assad evaporated with Al Qaeda’s coup within the FSA.

Analyzing these events further, one will note that Abu Bakr is a violent Al Qaeda terrorist leader from Iraq and epitomizes how this conflict has already gone regional. The US created civil war in Syria has now fully spilled over into neighboring Iraq just as our analysts predicted and warned. Violence in Iraq, which now is killing hundreds weekly, has reignited the Sunni-Shia civil war in Iraq removing any notion that the US succeeded in bringing about a more peaceful and democrat Iraq. Incidentally, Abu Bakr cut his teeth on killing Americans, not Syrians, and now Obama IS arming his organization in what must be considered one of the dumbest policy moves an American president has ever made.

Middle East analysts recognize the fact that the Syrian Civil War will continue to spread and engulf more countries in the Middle East counter to Washington’s claims. The situation is out of control. Longtime US ally Jordan is in a particularly perilous spot. In fact, secretly, Washington is so worried Jordan will be the next government to be toppled by the Al Qaeda terrorists the US is backing, Washington has quietly deployed a military force numbering over 2,000 in Jordan to attempt to contain the fighting should it begin spilling across the border.

Collectively assessing this information, it is clear the US has placed itself into an untenable paradox. On one hand we are trying to defeat Al Qaeda and protect the US while simultaneously arming and training Al Qaeda on the other. Al Qaeda has made no question that it will target the US as soon as its fighters finish in Syria. By arming these terrorists, our nation is effectively creating, aiding, and abetting its very own enemy to kill Americans. Not only is Obama’s policy a violation of US anti-terrorism laws, but it violates every core element of common sense and self-preservation. This conclusion is so obvious and the intelligence so overwhelming, Obama is literally using our tax dollars to kill Americans.

This policy of fighting Al Qaeda while simultaneously arming Al Qaeda that the Obama Administration has engineered screams of amateur hour, is out of control, and is as dangerous as it is schizophrenic. The only groups to benefit from this lunacy will be the money lending institutions and the defense industry (military industrial complex). However, in the interim, hundreds of thousands of people have been wounded and killed with many more surely to follow. There is simply no way the Obama Administration can claim that by arming KNOWN AL QAEDA TERRORISTS, the US will benefit. This Al Qaeda coup in the FSA leadership proves that any arms provided to the FSA WILL ultimately end up in the hands of Al Qaeda radicals.

Please contact your representatives in Congress, petition the White House, organize your neighbors to political action, and contact your media. Demand this insane policy of arming terrorists in Syria cease immediately. Failure to force Congress and the President to act will ultimately suck the US into another disastrous war, economically destroy our nation, and lead to untold numbers of dead and wounded Americans.